Fantasy Premier League: Nine breakthrough stars to consider

With the new Premier League season only a fortnight away, fans up and down the country are putting the finishing touches to their fantasy teams.

As usual there are some players who cannot be ignored. Almost half the teams in the official Premier League fantasy game feature Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, while Spurs midfielder Dele Alli appears in 40 per cent of them.

However, players of that calibre don't come cheap and for every expensive superstar, there must be a cheaper team-mate.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

So who are the young breakthrough players who could establish themselves this season without costing a fortune?

Fantasy defenders:

De Andre Yedlin (Newcastle) £4.5mTottenham signed the US full-back after the 2014 World Cup, but he struggled to make an impression and was farmed out to Sunderland and then Newcastle, where he won plaudits in the Championship.

He has raw pace and strength and could be a key player for the Magpies this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) £4.5mThe teenager remains a long way down the pecking order at Anfield, but forced his way into Jurgen Klopp's plans last season and could do so again this term.

"Already a highly versatile and composed young footballer, Alexander-Arnold is expected to build upon his seven Premier League appearances from last season in Liverpool's next campaign as Jurgen Klopp has to juggle the fixture commitments of the Champions League," says Squawka.

Nathan Ake (Bournemouth) £5mEddie Howe made the Dutch defender Bournemouth's record signing this summer, taking him from Chelsea on a permanent deal worth around £20m.

It's easy to understand why, says Fantasy Football Scout. Ake was on loan last season and "his athleticism, tackling and understanding of the game making a real difference to the Bournemouth rearguard".

He offers a real goal threat, is versatile and can play all over the pitch, including midfield.

Fantasy midfielders:

Ruben Loftus Cheek (Crystal Palace) £4.5mAnother young player surplus to requirements at Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek has a point to prove on loan with Palace this season.

He represents a "real coup" at £4.5m and could well be employed as a box-to-box midfielder by Frank de Boer, says FPL Updates, which believes he is a surefire starter for the Eagles. "He may not score a lot of goals, but could certainly grab a few assists for Palace. De Boer has done an excellent piece of business."

Tom Davies (Everton) £5.5mDavies made a big impact after breaking into the Everton first team last season and found himself getting the better of players including Alli, Harry Kane and Alexis Sanchez to win the PFA fans player of the month award for January.

"Fancy an outsider? Expect Everton youngster Tom Davies to be involved even more for the Toffees next season, with his pace and movement likely to only get better during their Premier League and Europa League runs," says The Sun.

James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) £5.5mYet another classy performer to roll off the Southampton production line, Ward-Prowse, now 22, will be looking to kick on this season. He is also expected to be hovering over most of the Saints' set pieces, which is a good way to collect points.

He is among the bargain midfielders identified by the scouts on the Fantasy Premier League website.

Demarai Gray (Leicester) £5.5mGray's been touted as a star of the future for several seasons and now, at the age of 21, could be ready to deliver.

The Leicester Mercury certainly believes he is worth a punt. "Gray could offer excellent value at just £5.5m, having been promised more game-time this season after growing frustrated with his limited opportunities last term," says the paper.

Fantasy strikers:

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) £5mAnother Everton prospect, the 20-year-old made 11 first team appearances last season and scored the winning goal for England in the Under-20 World Cup final.

With the departure of Romelu Lukaku he has a chance to establish himself as the Toffees main striker if Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez fail to fire.

Tammy Abraham (Swansea) £5.5mAnother player with Chelsea connections and a World Cup winner with Calvert-Lewin, Abraham has joined Swansea on loan for the season, and will be battling for game time with Jordan Ayew.

"Like Ayew, Abraham boasts plenty of pace, is capable of getting in behind defences, and also has the ability to drift into the channels," says Fantasy Football Scout. "It's in the penalty area though… where Abraham comes alive and looks to have the edge."